Piano chords · Blues & boogie
Basin Street Blues: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Spencer Williams
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 160 BPM
- 1928
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Basin Street Blues without reading music. The left hand plays jazz walk (walking bass) and the right hand steady chords.
The repeating figure of Basin Street Blues in letter notes
The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.
Basin Street Blues accompaniment in letter notes
The D7 – G7 – G7 – C7 loop with jazz walk in the left hand and steady chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
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Questions about Basin Street Blues
What are the letter notes for the Basin Street Blues piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is D7 – G7 – G7 – C7, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Basin Street Blues?
The loop is D7 – G7 – G7 – C7 (III7 – VI7 – II7 – III7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Bb – F7 – Bb.
What key is Basin Street Blues in?
Bb major, at about 160 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Basin Street Blues?
Jazz walk: walking bass, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Basin Street Blues easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Basin Street Blues?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the repeating figure of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.